As a nation, we enjoyed a successful and memorable London 2012 Olympic Games and are now enjoying the start of the Paralympic Games. As London 2012 draws to a close, many will be asking what will be left for future generations to enjoy. Following the years of hard work and investment by Great Britain to put on the show that we have, it is now time to think about the future and the benefits of the Olympic Legacy.

To gain better insight into exactly what the British public expect in terms of legacy, we conducted a survey to ask what is important to them personally. The results revealed that over half of Britons surveyed (62%) believe that the Games will benefit UK business in the long term and create a lasting legacy for the country. An impressive 60% of those surveyed also confirmed that they believe the Games may help to improve technology and innovation in the UK, inspiring entrepreneurship within the sector and helping to build a brilliant future for Britain and industry moving forward.

This morning, like most of mornings, I woke up, checked my calendar, and joined a WebEx meeting. After introductions and pleasantries, I listened and conversed with three of my colleagues. Then, at the top of the hour, the conversation concluded, and the group dispersed hurriedly to attend their next meetings. Employees repeat this process almost all day every day. This is how work is done at Cisco. Now, after having been a part of the process for nearly two months, I’m dreading the return to the seemingly archaic way that I work and collaborate with others at school.

This year, I will be a junior at the University of Oregon, and I’m working towards a degree in International Studies with a focus in Business- Marketing. Currently, I’m working as an intern for Cisco’s education marketing team. Read More »

This debate took place across 14 coutries with 18 Cisco TelePresence rooms and featured 23 students who debated the topic following an initial presentation give my Jeremy Gilley.

Jeremy Gilley leads Peace One Day, a global collaboration addressing the challenges of conflict facing the world. Through focusing on making one day of peace in the year, Peace One Day is establishing a foothold in building a more peaceful world.

EFF5 examined the challenges and potential of Learner Voice. It reflected on the development of Peace One Day and investigated the potential for development of student action to make a major positive impact on conflict reduction and resolution. Presentations and debate were led by Jeremy Gilley of Peace One Day and Michael Furdyk of TakingITGlobal, as well as three specially selected student presenters. Further invited student debaters and guests contributed to the debate from across the world. The event was moderated by education and technology advisor, Gavin Dykes. Explore Planet’s EFF pages, read the presenters’ blog posts and be moved to action too!

The paper describes how the teaching and learning model used around the world today has it roots in the 18th century. This is based the premise that lessons are delivered in real time by teachers and lecturers and then students do further study and review the content. Following is an extract from the paper which sets the scene.

“For the first 19 years of his career in education, Jon Bergman–like most educators–rarely had the time to speak to more than a few students each day in his high school chemistry classes. His teaching model followed the conventions established generations ago: Standing at the front of his classroom, he delivered lectures to students who furiously scribbled notes. He presented homework each evening, which was briefly reviewed the next day in class before beginning a new lab. Students who quickly grasped the concepts Bergman presented did well enough on tests to pass his class; those who struggled or were reticent to ask for help did not.Read More »

The U.S. Department of Education declared August Connected Educator Month (CEM), and more than 140 of the nation’s leading education organizations, communities, and companies (including Cisco) have come together to celebration and explore the power of professional online communities to advance the field of education. Throughout the month, educators have been participating in 400+ webinars, guided tours, live chats and forums, as well as blogging and tweeting using the #ce12 hashtag, to explore how online communities can enable educators to take control of their own professional development

Through the Connected Learning Exchange, Cisco provides an online community of educators from schools, colleges and universities to foster collaboration and showcase innovative and practical strategies that can dramatically improve education everywhere. We are also pleased to host, via WebEx, seven of the concluding CEM webcasts on August 30th and 31st, on a range of important topics including Personalized Learning, Teacher Led Change, 21st Century PD and the concluding session on Connected Educator Month: What We’ve Learned. Descriptions and registration links are included below.

Please also check the CEM calendar and continue to participate in all of the remaining CEM activities.

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